1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating characters and symbols (hereinafter referred to as character patterns) for recording or display.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Conventionally, character patterns have been generated by information processing systems having fixed memories which store information for as many classifications of characters as are required where the characters are selected by instructions employed within the information system. However, in such systems, the required capacity of each fixed memory is subject to considerable fluctuation depending on the method of standardization of each character arrayed into the storage matrix. Therefore, effective and efficient standardization or to state it otherwise, a method of reducing required memory capacity has lately been a matter of concern.
Referring to FIG. 1a, there is shown a Japanese character, which might be displayed. This character is simplified in FIG. 1b where only linear sections or vectors of the character are shown. In conventional systems, the respective linear lines or vectors are sequentially displayed until the entire character is displayed. Thus, the entire character may appear in a matrix display system of 32 dots .times. 32 dots, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. Memory capacity in such vector display systems may be reduced by a factor of approximately one third compared to those systems where all the bits or dots of the display matrix are stored in memory on a black-and-white basis. However, when using the vector display systems, each character is continuously reproduced vector by vector; therefore, such systems are impractical when recording or displaying with a cathode-ray tube utilizing conventional raster scanning or a multiple stylus system.